


Murky Waters

by pezzainwonderland



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23304865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pezzainwonderland/pseuds/pezzainwonderland
Summary: Here’s the thing:It started out legit.“I can’t believe this is happening,” Eddie grumbled for what seemed like the hundredth time, “We get people out of situations ten times worse than this - how are we the ones trapped?”And, like…yeah, maybe Buck had realized that he had a key in his back pocket, like, ten minutes ago - and, yes, okay, he knew he probably should have said something right away.But he hadn’t.He still didn’t.He couldn’t tell you why he didn’t, but it would be fucking weird to do it now so he just sort of kept saying, “Yeah, well, here we are. We’ll figure it out.”We’ll figure it out.Like he didn’t have the tiny silver solution right fucking there.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 344





	Murky Waters

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this tumblr post by @thebuckleydiazblog: 
> 
> Eddie: I can’t believe we’re locked together in this room.
> 
> Buck: *while hiding the key* Yeah, truly unfortunate.
> 
> (or, alternately: the one in which buck and eddie find themselves (suspiciously) locked in the supply closet…)
> 
> we're all trapped in a pandemic quarantine (like, what the fuck, am i right?), so, if you like, come talk to me on tumblr (@calypezo)! i'm new to this fandom, so, i need fandom pals!

Here’s the thing:

It started out legit.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Eddie grumbled for what seemed like the hundredth time, “We get people _out_ of situations a thousand times worse than this - how are we the ones trapped?”

And, like...yeah, _maybe_ Buck had realized that he had a key in his back pocket, like, ten minutes ago - and, _yes_ , okay, he knew he probably should have said something right away.

But he hadn’t.

He still didn’t.

He couldn’t tell you why he didn’t, but it would be fucking weird to do it now so he just sort of kept saying, “Yeah, well, here we are. We’ll figure it out.”

_We’ll figure it out._

Like he didn’t have the tiny silver solution _right fucking there_.

Meanwhile, fucking Eddie had rammed his shoulder into the door over and over and over again trying to get the damn thing to budge, and he was winding up to do it again and Buck just couldn’t keep watching him try.

He reached out to grasp his arm, “Hey, hey, stop - let’s just…” he inhaled deeply, gesturing for the brunette to follow suit, “- take a minute, alright? It’s fine. The next shift comes on in, what, twenty minutes? If we haven’t figured it out by then, someone’s gonna need to get in here eventually.”

“Eventually,” Eddie repeated flatly, eyes narrowed.

Buck frowned, folding his arms across his chest with a shrug, “Well, yeah.”

“Eventually’s not gonna cut it. I’ve gotta pick up Christopher in - “ He glanced at his watch with a huff, “ - an hour!”

And right, yeah, that definitely made him feel a lot worse about lying. He just couldn’t figure out how to be honest now - he was in too deep. The worst thing about it was that he couldn’t understand why he’d lied in the first place. It was just that they were here and Buck had been trying this thing where he had, y’know...broadened his dating pool, so to speak, to include men, and he’d maybe noticed that every guy he swiped on just so happened to have brown eyes, dark hair, and if they had a shit-eating grin to boot, then it was just sort of game over from there.

And maybe that _meant_ something, y’know?

And he’d been trying to figure out if there was something here. Something he’d maybe been missing all this time - like, signals Eddie might have been giving off, or something, to say that he felt it, too.

Or that he was into guys at all, because Buck didn’t even know _that_.

How did he not know that? They talked about everything…

Not that he’d told Eddie about his interest in men, either, but that was a bit of a new discovery for him, so, he was still trying to sort through it.

But the only thing that wasn’t murky in his journey through the sea of sexual discovery was that Buck had a type, and that type was Eddie Diaz (more or less).

So, they were here, literally stuck in a closet together (a _closet_ ) and if that wasn’t some kind of cosmic joke, then Buck didn’t know what was.

And he’d seen it as an opportunity. He’d taken it as a sign that this was it - it was time to mention it. 

Mention something. 

Anything. 

At least drop a breadcrumb for Eddie to follow - to open the door and be like, “So, buddy, I’ve started seeing guys, so, y’know...if you’re ever interested, _what’s up_?”

Not that he was gonna do it like _that_ , but you get the idea.

This was his moment.

He felt a hand against his sternum and was drawn out of his convoluted thoughts when Eddie spoke, “Step back - I’m gonna kick it down.”

Buck blinked as Eddie psyched himself up to do it and, as his partner in captivity tensed up to do it, he blurted: “Don’t be mad.”

Eddie stopped, his brows furrowed in confusion when he turned to look up at Buck, “What?”

Buck swallowed, wringing his hands together, “Don’t be mad,” he repeated.

“...okay…” Eddie agreed slowly, hesitantly.

“Okay,” Buck repeated with a nod, the word coming out a bit squeakier than he would have liked, prompting him to clear his throat and try it again, “Okay. So, funny story…”

He reached into his pocket, then, and withdrew the key with a sheepish grin, “Surprise?”

Eddie stared at the key, then up at Buck, “You gotta be fucking kidding me - you had a key this whole time?!”

“Not the _whole_ time! I mean...yeah, I _had_ it the whole time but I only _realized_ I had it, like, 15 minutes ago - “

“ _You’ve known you had a key for fifteen minutes_?!”

“You said you wouldn’t be mad!” Buck closed his fingers around the key defensively as Eddie lunged for it, holding it up high, hoping to keep it out of reach of the shorter man.

“Are you serious right now - give it to me!” Eddie grunted, tugging on Buck’s sleeve to try to pull his arm down.

“No, hang on, just let me - _stop_!” Buck grunted in irritation as Eddie swatted at him, the pair tripping and stumbling back in a heap against one of the shelves, “Ow - jesus, man.”

“You deserve it,” Eddie grunted, now grasping Buck’s wrist with one hand while attempting to pry his fingers open with the other.

“Can you just stop for one second?” Buck pleaded.

Eddie clenched his jaw, ignoring him.

“Eddie.”

Not so much as a glare, his determined gaze remaining fixated on Buck’s clenched fist.

Before he could think better of it, Buck swooped in and quickly, just barely - like a flash - pressed his lips against Eddie’s. Like a God awful, frantic pre-teen stealing their first kiss on the playground, the kiss lasted only seconds before Buck quickly withdrew to gage the other man’s reaction, kind of wishing that he could just run away like the kid on the playground would have to avoid having to face the aftermath of what he’d done.

At least Eddie had stopped struggling. 

At least he was looking at him now.

Buck wasn’t sure what to think about _how_ he was looking at him, but at least he was.

“Don’t be mad,” he repeated for a third time - quietly, softly.

“I…” Eddie blinked, his grip falling from his wrist as he stepped back. 

Buck stood upright, letting his hand fall back to his side. His heart was hammering in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Somehow, with everything he’d done in this job, this was one of the most terrifying moments of his life.

Buck had never really been a particularly patient person, and the silence was deafening. He licked his lips, taking a step closer, “Eddie - “

Eddie shook his head, “If you’re fucking with me…” he warned.

“Fucking with you? What are you talking about - you really think I’d do that?”

“Well, kinda came outta left field there, Buck,” Eddie reasoned, looking up at him expectantly.

“Did it, though?” Buck tilted his head, moving closer still, encouraged by the fact that Eddie wasn’t stepping back, “C’mon.”

“Yeah, it did - why didn’t you say something?”

“I was trying to, but you were climbing all over me!”

Eddie rolled his eyes, “Not _now_ , before! When we _weren’t_ locked in a supply closet.”

“Why - is this a bad time?” He teased, grinning as they stood almost chest to chest.

“The worst,” Eddie muttered stubbornly.

“Eddie.”

“What?”

Buck lowered himself to one knee, and he almost broke at the look of absolute, complete and utter horror that immediately flashed across Eddie’s face.

“What are you doing?”

“Eddie,” he said again, really hamming it up, revelling in the other man’s obvious discomfort.

“No - get up. Stop.”

Buck held out his hand, the tiny silver key resting in his palm like a peace offering, “You wanna go on a date with me?”

Eddie glared at him with a look that was the strangest mixture of fury, disbelief, and amusement that Buck had ever seen before he snatched the key out of his outstretched hand and turned to unlock the door to freedom.

“You’re an asshole,” he fired over his shoulder.

“C’mon - that was funny.”

“You’ve got a fucked up sense of humor,” Eddie called over his shoulder as he headed toward his locker.

Buck rose, chuckling to himself, “So, is that a yes?” he called after him.

Eddie turned, flipping him off, “ _Yes_ , you dick.”

Unbeknownst to the pair, Chim and Hen observed from the balcony above, watching the scene from afar. Chim held out a hand expectantly, and Hen rolled her eyes as she slapped a ten dollar bill into his palm.

“‘Bout damn time,” she grumbled.

“What’d I tell ya?” Chimney beamed proudly, “Just needed a little nudge in the right direction.”


End file.
